Re: Steven Universe

There's some t-shirts & mugs but that's about it. I do want this cover for sure. (Up on the cartoon netwrok site. I didi a few SU merch searches but besides etsy, nothing really exists)

I've heard the theory about girls and toys and to be honezt I don't really buy it. The tween girl market is huge and the Crystal Gems are all, in essence, pretty girls perfectly shaped and sized to be made into plushies and figurines. I would understand if they were hesitant to make action figures or other typically 'boy' stuff. I mean seriously, no Rose Quartz princess dresses, or Crytsal Gem lip glosses and accessories? I understand if they don't want to sell out but if they don't promote they face getting cancelled and that won't do anyone any good and further reinforce the idea that girl stuff isnt financially viable.

Re: Steven Universe

YamPuff wrote:

There's some t-shirts & mugs but that's about it. I do want this cover for sure. (Up on the cartoon netwrok site. I didi a few SU merch searches but besides etsy, nothing really exists)

I've heard the theory about girls and toys and to be honezt I don't really buy it. The tween girl market is huge and the Crystal Gems are all, in essence, pretty girls perfectly shaped and sized to be made into plushies and figurines. I would understand if they were hesitant to make action figures or other typically 'boy' stuff. I mean seriously, no Rose Quartz princess dresses, or Crytsal Gem lip glosses and accessories? I understand if they don't want to sell out but if they don't promote they face getting cancelled and that won't do anyone any good and further reinforce the idea that girl stuff isnt financially viable.

I'm not sure the creators/writers/producers of the show actually as individuals own the merchandising rights to SU, though, CN does. I'm not really sure. There are plenty of ways to turn the characters and aesthetics of SU into the same traditionally girly mono-pink merch that lines the girl aisles. You'd be pissing all over the show if you treated its characters and themes so one-dimensionally, but yeah it's more than doable, it's easy, and thus easy money. (I'll take a cheeseburger handbag hell yeah and use it to hold my Lapis compact mirror and Rose Quartz plumping lip gloss). Then again, only Pearl really fits the easily marketable ideal that many companies shoot for; thin, mostly pink, and passably white. Garnet is very clearly coded as a woman of color and rocks a full on natural fro; Amethyst is short and curvy, Rose is intimidatingly tall and also fat. None represent the lofty yet limiting beauty standard that is often promoted in girl's toys. They also are varying intensities of queer.

But many toy companies and I'll argue Cartoon Network don't want to, because they don't want to sell to girls. I mean, you start acknowledging girls' purchasing power and what next? Their tastes? Their opinions? Their diversity? You don't see a lot of complaining from the boy's side of the aisle because the boy's side of the aisle, while limited in its own unique ways, has so many more options for self expression and exploratory play. They have all the Avengers they want, because the Avengers are majority male cast, so they don't really miss Black Widow's exclusion. Also, too, if you starting acknowledging a female audience and treating it with any ounce of respect as something more than a monogender the world would explode, I'm sure. Even Disney, who is all the fuck about merchandising and marketing to girls (depending on the movie), pretty much half asses it. They just paint the same ugly stock art of Elsa & Anna onto as much random and irrelevant crap as they can (seriously why is the stock art so awful?) and didn't really try to make anything creative based on the property itself.

Re: Steven Universe

There is a part of me that wonders if they aren't being slated for cancellation and the show is being rushed out and wrapped up ahead of time.

From what I hear they've been renewed for a third season, and we're barely into the second one. They got time to do whatever they want. I also agree there are many many times where it feels like they're just pleasing fans, but at the same time they're spending most of their time doing their own thing. And even during times where it seems like they're overplaying certain characters, I think it blends okay.

Re: Steven Universe

wAIT ALSO ACTUAL DRINKY BIRD PEARL

HOLY SHIT

GEM BUBBLE SNOW GLOBES

TRANSFORMER ASSEMBLY REQUIRED PERIDOT

GARNET'S. SUNGLASSES.

THESE ARE THINGS I WANT.

Its true we don't really know thw real force behind the creaton of toys & shit for cartoons. I'm really glad to hear of a potential third season, the cancellations rumors are, after all, rumors so who knows. I'm on board for the long haul.

But the day they make them into collectible figurines all the Crystal Clods will be mine mwahahahaha

Re: Steven Universe

Hmm, so Steven Universe was set to come back August 6th, they had an episode schedule and everything. But then today they announced that they weren't coming back after all until September. They played it off as wanting to extend their vacation, but this kind of thing makes me worry about the future of the show.

Re: Steven Universe

HonorableShadow wrote:

Hmm, so Steven Universe was set to come back August 6th, they had an episode schedule and everything. But then today they announced that they weren't coming back after all until September. They played it off as wanting to extend their vacation, but this kind of thing makes me worry about the future of the show.

Re: Steven Universe

I've fallen in love with this show. I watched all of it in less than a week. I adore the characters, and I'm surprised at how emotionally invested I've become. After the first few episodes I thought I'd drop it, but I'm SO GLAD I kept going.

Re: Steven Universe

Crystalline_Dream wrote:

I've fallen in love with this show. I watched all of it in less than a week. I adore the characters, and I'm surprised at how emotionally invested I've become. After the first few episodes I thought I'd drop it, but I'm SO GLAD I kept going.

Re: Steven Universe

Aaaah. A Steven Universe thread. Nice, nice.

This show has sneaked into my heart and made me reconsider my cynicism (the cynicism is not quite destroyed, but definitely put to the test).

I'm looking forward to seeing what the merch will be like, but I'm also a bit worried because I know I'll probably want some of the things (if not all of the things), but I don't have either money or space to spare. But a cute lil something besides Utena would be nice.

To address some of the older comments, the people working on the show said that CN is not working against them, but with them. And all the rescheduling is not a result of some impending doom. As already mentioned, it'll at the very least run a third season. So I wouldn't really worry about anything.

Re: Steven Universe

Re: Steven Universe

Shouldn't jasper be Saionji instead of Juri? Since Jasper dominent attitude towards Lapis lazuli during Jailbreak is exactly like Saionji's treatment of Anthy when she was in his possession as the current champion duelist

Pearl would suit Juri a lot better since she has similar issues regarding her sexuality combined with Shiori's low sense of self-worth and clingy nature.